Between the ages of six and ten, children learn the vast majority of abstract words and concepts. They’re exposed to more advanced reading demands and are expected to take in increasingly complex terminology. For teachers and homeschooling parents, this means that it’s time to teach figurative language for kids.
Learning figurative language will allow kids to effectively communicate an idea that’s otherwise not easy to understand because of its abstract nature or complexity. It will also improve their writing skills and give them a better tool for expressing their emotions, which in turn aids emotional maturity.
This speaks volumes about the importance of figurative language in children’s education and cognitive development in general. Understanding these reasons, we made this handy guide that will help you develop a powerful strategy for teaching kids about figurative language.
So, without further ado, let’s begin.
What Is Figurative Language?
If introduced right, figurative language is so fun that all kids will pass the unit with flying colors. Some of them might need to put their thinking hats on, but once they get the gist, they’ll turn into hungry little bookworms.
See what we did there? That’s figurative language. To us, it comes naturally and we use it daily, but kids need some time until they figure things out. And, although we know how to use a figure of speech, we must be able to define figurative language in simple terms, show kids how to identify the main types of figurative language, and use fun activities through which we’ll capture their full attention.
Simply put, figurative language is defined as a creative way to use words and phrases beyond their literal definition to explain something more abstract or heighten the emotional power of that word or phrase. It makes the text more relatable, engaging, and interesting as it’s very good at provoking emotions or intriguing thoughts.
Main Types of Figurative Language
As we’ve just explained, figurative language is a major part of what gives a word power, and this is something well known throughout history. Aristotle was one of the early analysts of rhetoric who studied the differences between literal and figurative speech. Since then, figurative language has gotten a lot of attention, which has helped philosophers define it and make it easier for us to pass it on to future generations.
Although there are many types of figurative language, probably somewhere around 11 or 12, or more, we know that there are at least five main types – metaphors, similes, personification, hyperbole, and symbolism.
In the beginning, the following types of figurative language are all you need because going too strong too fast might end up confusing and intimidating young minds.
Simile
Simile is a type of figurative language that we use to directly compare two things. Unlike metaphors where we make an implicit comparison, with simile, we highlight the similarities between two things with the words “like” or “as”, which makes it so easy to recognize simile in a text.
Examples of simile:
- We’re like two peas in a pod. – We use this comparison when we want to say we’re very similar to someone because the two peas in the pod are identical.
- That’s light as a feather. – Feathers are almost weightless, which is why we typically use them as a comparison when we want to emphasize how light something else is.
Follow the link to find more information and examples about simile.
Personification
Personification is a figure of speech that we use to give human qualities to something that’s not human. We describe something in the same way as we would describe a person. For example, mad ocean of fair sun. However, we don’t believe that the sun is actually alive and human-like, which is the difference between personification and anthropomorphism. The latter is when we give human traits to nonhuman phenomena in a more literal way. For example, the way we represent Bagheera from the “Jungle Book” or the toys in the Toy Story series.
In the beginning, it may be difficult for kids to make a difference, but through examples, they’ll soon learn to differentiate these two figures. Don’t be shy about the practical examples. Check out our worksheet bundle to get more ideas about personification.
Alliteration
Alliteration is yet another figure of speech that would be easy for kids to recognize. It’s a poetic technique or literary style that we most often see in poetry where we see a repetition of the initial sounds in two or more neighboring words. The spelling is not really important and can be different as long as the words sound the same. We use it because it links words and it creates a pleasant, rhythmic effect.
Examples of alliteration:
- Even elephants enjoy eating eggs every day.
- Mike’s mother makes a mouthwatering mince pie.
- She sells sea-shells on the seashore.
Alliterations can sometimes be hard for pronunciation, but by practicing them through the fantastic examples we’ve included in our worksheet, children will improve their reading skills significantly.
Hyperbole
Hyperbole, like the name suggests, is a figurative language that we use when we want to exaggerate something to make a point. Usually, hyperbole makes something sound a lot better or bigger than it actually is, although it’s frequently used to make something sound more dramatic, intense, or even worse than it actually is.
Examples of hyperbole:
- There’s enough food in the cupboard to feed an entire army! (when someone’s mom makes a lot of food)
- I’ve read this book a hundred times. (when we’ve read the book more than once)
- I’m so hungry I could eat a horse.
While teaching hyperbole or other types of figurative language to kids, make sure to make parallels with the other figures of speech that kids have learned already. In this example, ask kids what’s the difference between “I’m so hungry I could eat a horse.” (hyperbole) and “I eat like a horse!” (simile).
These direct comparisons of two or more figures of speech in one example will remarkably help kids to make the connection between these literary styles and recognize them more easily.
Metaphor
We left metaphor for last, although probably the most widely used, given that it can be a bit tricky for kids to understand since the comparison between words is implicitly made, unlike with simile. So, metaphor is when we describe something as if it was something else. This is typically done between things that aren’t alike but have something in common.
Examples of metaphor:
- He’s a walking encyclopedia.
Kids might confuse this example with hyperbole, which is understandable as it seems like we exaggerate how much he knows. But, explain to kids that if it was hyperbole it probably would’ve been worded in a way that it focuses on the object we exaggerate. For example, “He has more knowledge than an encyclopedia.” In contrast, in metaphor, we make more general descriptions of what something is. Practice with a lot of examples to make sure kids get an intuition on these things.
- You are my sunshine.
- Mary’s voice is music to my ears.
As we’ve said, it may be trickier for kids to understand it, which is why our team at Kidskonnect prepared a separate study lesson plan just for metaphor, which will be of great help when teaching kids metaphor for the first time.
Of course, if your child is already mastering these basic forms of figurative language, you can also check out our extensive collection of worksheets and lesson plans in the English Language Arts (ELA) section and find more advanced topics like Dramatic, Situational, Verbal Irony (as well as Irony in general), Poetry, Paradox, and many others.
When and Where to Start?
Just to make things crystal clear, the reasoning behind the five types of figurative language that we recommend as excellent starters is supported by research.
An article published in the British Journal of Developmental Psychology titled “Telling it as it isn’t: Children’s understanding of figurative language” measured comprehension of five common forms of figurative language in six-, eight-, and 11-year-old kids. What they found out was that most six-year-olds failed to understand both the discrepancy of the utterances as well as the speaker’s purpose. Eight-year-olds were a lot better at recognizing the discrepancy of the utterances, although they failed to understand the speaker’s purpose. Finally, at 11-years old, children were successful in both tasks – recognizing the discrepancy of the utterances and the speaker’s purpose.
This tells us that teachers and homeschooling parents can start introducing the more basic concepts of figurative language at eight years of age and slowly advance as their reading comprehension improves.
When it comes to the difficulty of the different types of figurative language, researchers found that irony, followed by hyperbole, understatement, and sarcasm were the most difficult ones to grasp.
This is why simile, personification, and symbolism are great starting points for teaching figurative language to kids.
How to Teach Figurative Language
Now that we know when and where, all we’re left to figure out is how to teach figurative language to kids. We’ve already touched upon this when we were discussing the different types of figurative language and here are the main points:
- Start teaching the easier forms of figurative language for kids and slowly progress.
- Use relatable everyday examples – a lot of them!
- Encourage kids to think of examples on their own.
- Make connections between the different kinds of figurative language to highlight the differences that help us recognize them in texts. Transforming one example in different styles is a good way to go.
- Practice makes perfect, which is why the best way to teach figurative language is through reading and analyzing different kinds of materials.
To be more specific, here’s a list of some of the best resources through which you can teach kids figurative language.
Through Poetry
Kids are exposed to poetry before they start to learn. It’s a beautiful medium and pleasing to the ears, which is why it captures children’s attention. Poetry is also memorable which means the learned stuff about figurative language will also be remembered if associated with their beloved rhymes.
Our pick of some poems and rhymes on figurative language for kids:
- “Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,” By Mother Goose (personification)
- “Mary Had a Little Lamb” by Sarah Josepha Hale (simile)
- “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud” by William Wordsworth (simile and hyperbole)
- “A Red, Red Rose” by Robert Burns (metaphor)
- “The Raven” by Edgar Allan Poe (alliteration)
Through Shakespeare
Shakespeare is probably the best author from which children can learn figurative language. He uses a lot, if not all the types of figurative language in his work. “Romeo and Juliet” is a classic example and one that would appeal to kids, especially pre-adolescents. However, once your students or child masters the basics, you can dive deeper into Shakespeare’s work.
Through Worksheets
Using resources specially designed to help kids excel the figurative language is the smart way to go, especially in the beginning. In our Figurative Language Worksheets & Examples collection, we offer 15 ready-to-use worksheets including “I Can” statements, vocabulary word wallpapers, quizzes, figurative language games for the classroom, rewrites, and so much more.
Moreover, for each type of figurative language and literary device, we have additional worksheet bundles that you can find in our ELA section.
Analyzing Figurative Language in Movies and Songs
Since figurative language is part of our everyday speech, analyzing your child’s favorite cartoon, movie, or song is most likely the most effective way to keep them engaged on the subject as it won’t feel like studying at all. This fact will also increase their motivation and provoke them to think about a familiar thing in a different way.
If you want to implement this technique in the classroom, you can search for popular children’s movies that use a lot of figurative languages or simply rely on your kid’s interests in a homeschooling environment.
Through Specialized Children’s Books on Figurative Language
Another way to approach this is to utilize children’s books that use poems, rhymes, short stories, and other useful examples of figurative language that might help young children grasp the concept behind the figures of speech.
Books on figurative language for kids:
- Crazy Like a Fox: A Simile Story by Loreen Leedy
- My Mouth is a Volcano written by Julia Cook
- The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt
- The Bad Seed by John Jory
- The Legend of Rock, Paper, Scissors by Drew Daywalt
- Chips and Cheese and Nana’s Knees: What Is Alliteration by Brian Cleary
It’s best if you use the books as homework assignments, exercise material, or complementary material to the main lecture plan which should provide a strong foundation.
Through Creative Writing
Finally, once kids overcome the first milestone in learning a figurative language, recognizing different types of figurative language, is time to master their second milestone – using the figurative language when communicating.
This can be done through creative writing on different topics. Children should learn how figurative language can enrich their dialog and allow them to better express their emotions by writing on topics that are in their interest.
Before You Leave
Teaching figurative language to kids can be a truly rewarding experience – it’s fun, beautiful, and it aids children’s emotional and cognitive development. Best of all, since there are many types of figurative language, this allows for a lot of flexibility when approaching the topic to be adjusted to the children’s specific capabilities.
In this article, we’ve answered the what, when, and how questions about figurative language. To answer the what question, we’ve covered the main types of figurative language that we believe are the right ones to introduce the topic. In terms of when, we provided evidence concerning the best age to start teaching figurative language for kids. Finally, we incorporated some tips and a lot of teaching resources on how to teach figurative language for kids.
You can find more help on this topic, and many other educational topics, by simply browning through our massive collection of worksheets and other teaching resources. You can also check out our blog, where we regularly share insightful articles like this one right here.
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Link will appear as How to Teach Kids Figurative Language: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, February 17, 2021